textproduct: Amarillo

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 1248 PM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

- A prolonged heat wave is building through the week with major to extreme heat risk anticipated for much of the area by the end of the week.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Tuesday night) Issued at 1248 PM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

A high pressure system remains the dominant feature across the southern plains for both today and Tuesday. This is bringing ample subsidence heating across region and will set up a prolonged heat wave that will impact the panhandles. This will see the highs in the 90s to 100s for this afternoon and mainly 100s for Tuesday afternoon. Overnight it will stay very warm with lows remaining in the upper 60s to 70s. This means that people will not be able to cool off as well overnight worsening the heat wave. This heat will pose a major heat risk in the panhandles that can readily lead to heat illness to those without proper cooling or hydration. To emphasis, this heat can be lethal to those that do not hydrate correctly and suffer a heat stroke. As such a Heat Advisory is being issued for Palo Duro Canyon and the southeastern portions of the Texas panhandle for Tuesday. This are has the potential to expand if the heat becomes even hotter than currently forecasted. Tuesday afternoon a slight shift in the mid level winds can bring some limited moisture into the panhandles. This moisture is leading to a very low chance for afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms. Even if these do occur they will most likely produce more wind than any meaningful rainfall. Still, the rain can bring a slight break to the oppressive heat that will be present across the panhandles.

Bottom line is that a heat wave is forming over the panhandles that will bring dangerous temperatures that can easily lead to heat illness or heat stroke. This heat can be lethal to those without adequate hydration or cooling.

LONG TERM

(Wednesday through next Sunday) Issued at 1248 PM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

There is a very high chance for the high pressure to remain dominant across the southern plains for the rest of the week and through the weekend. This will have a very high chance of continuing to bring ample heating across the panhandles that will cause the highs to rise into the 100s to 110s. The overnight lows will likewise increase into the 70s across the panhandles as well. This means the panhandles will have a prolonged heatwave that will have major to extreme impacts over the remainder of this week and the weekend. There is a high chance for heat advisories to excessive heat warning across the panhandles each day through the rest of the week and weekend. The worse impacted areas will most likely be the normal hot areas such as Palo Duro Canyon and the Canadian River Valley. This heat can be lethal to anyone that does not have adequate hydration or cooling. So be sure to look out for each other and know the sighs of heat illness and heat stroke. Later this week towards Thursday the high pressure center shifts to the west of the panhandles. This shift will allow for a limited amount of mid level moisture to move across the panhandles bringing a low chance for rain showers and thunderstorms. These storms will most likely be high based in nature, meaning they will be better at producing wind than rain. Still such storms can bring limited and localized relief from the oppressive heat. Such cooling will be far more miss than hit, so do not plan any outdoor activities expecting relief from the rain as that can lead to disaster.

The big take away is that the panhandles is most likely to see a very hot prolonged heat wave with the potential for lethal heat for those without adequate hydration and cooling. So plan accordingly and try to limit outdoor activities and work to avoid heat illness or heat stroke.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1248 PM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

VFR conditions at all terminals for the next 24 hours. It will be very hot across the panhandles and at all terminals now through the rest of the week. This can lead to increased density altitude at all terminals during this time. There is a very low chance for afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. These will not be reflected in the TAFs as the chance of occurrence at a terminal is far to low.

AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 9 PM CDT Tuesday for TXZ005-008>010- 013>015-018>020-317.

OK...None.